Shrieking Terror

The statistics block below contains details for more than one size of shrieking terror. Use the horizontal scrollbar below it to display the desired one or select from the links below that.

Five-Headed Terror • Ten-Headed Terror

Shrieking terrors originated as magically mutated vargouilles crossbred with hydras. These horrors possess the worst aspects of each parent creature, making them a hearty, multiheaded terror equipped with the vargouille’s special attacks. Created for war and destruction, these monsters vigorously attack most creatures not native to Carceri. They have been known to act as advance troops for demodands in some of the many conflicts on Carceri.

Some vargouilles view these twisted creatures as repugnant abominations and attack them unmercifully if given a chance. Others revere them, almost to the point of worship.

Each of a shrieking terror’s heads is slightly larger than a human head, about 18 inches across. The monster’s features hint at a reptilian heritage. The central wings span nearly 8 feet. A shrieking terror weighs about 200 pounds.

Shrieking terrors speak Infernal.

A shrieking terror generally begins combat by using its shriek ability. It then selects a paralyzed foe as its first victim, and one or two heads kiss it while the other three or four either attack any active foes that come near, or use their shriek ability defensively.

A shrieking terror can be killed by severing all its heads or by slaying its body. To sever a head, an opponent must make a successful sunder attempt with a slashing weapon. (The player should declare where the attack is aimed, either at the body or at a head, before making the attack roll.) An opponent can strike at a shrieking terror’s heads from any position in which he could strike at the shrieking terror’s body, because the monster’s heads writhe and whip about during combat. An opponent can ready an action to attempt to sunder a shrieking terror’s head when the creature bites at him.

Each of a shrieking terror’s heads has hit points equal to the creature’s full normal hit point total divided by 10. For example, if a shrieking terror has 97 hit points, 9 or more points of damage severs a head (97 ÷ 10 = 9.7, rounded down to 9). Losing a head deals damage to the body equal to the head’s full normal hit points. After a head is severed, a natural reflex seals the neck shut to prevent further blood loss. A shrieking terror can no longer attack with a severed head but takes no other penalties.

Each time a head is severed, two new heads spring from the stump in 1d4 rounds. A shrieking terror can never have more than ten heads at any one time, and any extra heads it gains beyond its original number wither and die within a day. To prevent the stump from growing two new heads, at least 5 points of fire or acid damage must be dealt to the stump (requiring a touch attack to hit) before the new heads appear. A flaming weapon (or similar effect) deals its energy damage to the stump in the same blow in which a head is severed. Fire or acid damage from an area effect (such as a fireball spell or dragon breath) may burn multiple stumps in addition to dealing damage to the shrieking terror’s body. A shrieking terror does not die from losing its heads until all its heads have been cut off and the stumps seared by fire or acid.

A shrieking terror’s body can be slain just like any other creature’s, but shrieking terrors possess fast healing and are difficult to defeat in this fashion. Any attack that is not (or cannot be) an attempt to sunder a head affects the body. For example, area effects deal damage to a shrieking terror’s body, not to its heads. Targeted magical effects cannot sever a shrieking terror’s heads (and thus must be directed at the body) unless they deal slashing damage and could be used to make sunder attempts.

Kiss (Su): Each head of a shrieking terror can kiss a paralyzed target with a successful melee touch attack (attack bonus +12). An affected opponent must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC shown in entry) or begin a terrible transformation that turns the creature into a vargouille within 24 hours (and often much sooner; roll 1d6 separately for each phase of the transformation). First, over a period of 1d6 hours, all the victim’s hair falls out. Within another 1d6 hours thereafter, the ears grow into leathery wings, tentacles sprout on the chin and scalp, and the teeth become long, pointed fangs. During the next 1d6 hours, the victim takes 1 point of Intelligence drain and 1 point of Charisma drain per hour (to a minimum score of 3 in each ability).

The transformation is complete 1d6 hours later, when the head breaks free of the body (which promptly dies) and becomes a vargouille. This transformation is interrupted by sunlight, and even a daylight spell can delay death, but to reverse the transformation requires a remove disease spell or similar effect. The save DC is Constitution-based and includes a +4 racial bonus.

Poison (Ex): Injury, Fortitude (DC shown in entry) or be unable to heal the shrieking terror’s bite damage naturally or magically. A neutralize poison or heal spell removes the effect, while delay poison allows magical healing. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Pounce (Ex): If a shrieking terror moves or charges a foe in a round, it can still make a full attack with all its heads at no penalty.

Shriek (Su): As a full-round action, a shrieking terror can open its distended mouths and let out a terrible sound. Anyone within 60 feet (except other shrieking terrors and vargouilles) that hears this shriek and can clearly see the creature must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC shown in entry) or be paralyzed with fear for 2d4 rounds or until the monster attacks the target, moves out of range, or blocks the target’s line of sight to it. A paralyzed creature is susceptible to the shrieking terror’s kiss. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by the same terror’s shriek for 24 hours. The shriek is a mind-affecting fear effect. The save DC is Constitution-based and includes a +1 racial bonus for each of its heads. (If a shrieking terror gains or loses heads, the save DC changes accordingly.)

Skills: A shrieking terror has a +2 racial bonus on Listen checks and Spot checks, thanks to its multiple heads. (This bonus is negated if the creature is reduced to one head.)

Thankfully rare in the extreme, solitary ten-headed shrieking terrors have been reported by planar travelers. A ten-headed terror has a wingspan of 16 feet and weighs 1,600 pounds.

Combat

A ten-headed shrieking terror has a particularly nasty series of bite attacks, but its combat tactics are identical to the five-headed terror.

To create these unspeakable horrors, mind flayer wizards captured vargouilles and hydras from Eberron and warped them into a single species on their home plane of Xoriat. The shrieking terrors were then released back into Eberron’s ecology. Shrieking terrors are found in the dark caverns of Khyber, usually accompanied by mobs of sycophantic vargouilles eager to undergo similar transformation.